President Joe Biden said Russia should be kicked out of the Group of 20 nations in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine, a major step that would be up to all members of the G-20.Russia’s membership in the group, which represents the world’s major economies, was discussed during an emergency meeting with key U.S. allies, Biden told reporters Thursday during a news conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
If the other members decline to revoke Russia’s membership, Ukraine should be permitted to attend G-20 meetings, Biden said.
The president's remarks came as the U.S. reinforced NATO’s support of Ukraine one month into Russia’s invasion, saying that they are determined "to hold Russia accountable for its brutal war."
Russian President Vladimir Putin was banking on NATO being split when he launched the invasion, Biden said. Instead, "NATO has never, never been more united than it’s been today."
Biden also said he hopes to meet with Ukrainian refugees while in Europe, giving away a part of his schedule that the White House had not announced.
"I plan on attempting to see those folks," Biden said, before adding, "I’m not supposed to say where I’m going."
The White House had announced that Biden will meet with leaders offering humanitarian assistance when he visits Poland this week. But they had not responded to questions about whether the president would see refugees.
Biden's remarks came as Russia was also strapped with more sanctions Thursday — even as Putin's economy has shrunk to half the size it was before the invasion, according to the White House. A senior administration official told reporters that independent assessments indicate Russia’s last 15 years of economic gains will evaporate this year and inflation will spike to 15%.